There is no worse pseudointellectual than a Very Intellectual and Scientifically Enlightened Person, that much is generally understood outside of scientistic circles. But I have to say, the so-called "doers" (see: most right-wing public figures) are just as aggravating to me.
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It's not only the relentless (and fake) application of the thinker-vs-doer dichotomy, but also that they all seem to use their labelling themselves as doers as a cover... ... for their own, equally untenable pseudointellectualism.
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Firstly, because it takes a special kind of asshole to say "I have such and such material success, ergo I'm a doer." Secondly, because their various homebrew theories on everything under the sun are just as stupid, ideologically motivated or straight-up bought as any other.
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Replying to @Triquetrea
Well said. This highlights the fallacy (which extends beyond intellectualism) that anyone who is "successful" by [insert relative standard] can by definition give an authoritative account of why they are in fact that way, and why that's the "right" approach.
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Replying to @Failed_Buddhist @Triquetrea
(See endless supply of athlete-endorsed diets and alt medicine.)
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Replying to @Failed_Buddhist
Yes, but worse: even insightful people often don't know *why* they're insightful, so their pet theories are often BS. E.g. I have *very* strong intuitions about people - they can be extremely accurate, but belief in my theories about people has always let me down.
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Replying to @Triquetrea @Failed_Buddhist
Once I learned that I have no idea why something I do works, even if it works, I stopped believing much in my own theories. That has really helped, though it makes epistemic doubt as intellectual cop-out a real danger to be mindful of. Some things are more true than others.
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Replying to @Triquetrea
I think the use of epistemic doubt as an argumentative tool is often an intellectual cop-out, so it's certainly important to be careful there. I find it incredibly useful as a subjective practice. As you say, recognizing that something can work even if your theories are wrong.
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Replying to @Failed_Buddhist @Triquetrea
Also just being mindful of the fact that certitude is simply a feeling in the body. When I feel certain about something, I try to pay attention to that objectively as a physical sensation.
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Of course, for the purposes of building a functioning civilization, we can't pretend that everything is equally true (or false) and call it a day.
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